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ROBERT w. KENNEDY, oE PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JoNEs & LAUGHLINS, (LIMITEDQ or SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF COILING METAL RODS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,526, dated January 6, 1885.

(N0 specimens To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT WV. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Iittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or dis covered certain new and useful Improvements in the Method of Coiling Metal Rods, of which improvements the following is a specification.

In bending iron rods in coils, which are to be subsequently cut or divided for the manufacture of links for chains, or are to be otherwise treated for any other purpose, these coils are formed by bending the rods over a revolving mandrel having that portion on which the coils are formed constructed with parallel sides and the remaining portion thereof tapering.

Great difficulty has been experienced in causing the coils as formed to slide off the straight portions of the mandrel in order that subsequent coils may be formed thereon, and unless great care is exercised in removing the formed coils the succeeding coil will ride up on them, thereby deforming the coils and stopping or breaking the machine. These difficultics occur especially in coiling wroughtiron rods, which are bent beyond the limit of elasticity of the metal, and consequently hug the mandrel very tightly. This sticking of the coils has heretofore been overcome by the use of oil or other suitable lubricant, which is allowed to drip or run on the mandrel at the coiling point to facilitate the removal of the coils as formed by the pressure of the coils in being formed. But the use of oil or other lubricant is objectionable not only on account of the expense of such oil, which has to be used in considerable quantities to effect the purpose desired, but also on account of the defiling and gumming of the coils, thereby rendering it necessary to boil the coils in water or subjecting them to an acid bath for the purpose of removing the oil or other lubricant before said coils can be subjected to any further treatment.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the slipping of the coils from the mandrel as they are formed, and to prevent the heating of the coils and mandrel during the bending, and the grooving and scoring of the latter. To this end my invention consists, in general terms, in the method as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In carrying out my invention one end of the rod of any desired length and of any size up to seven-eighths of an inch in cross-section is secured to the mandrel in any desired manner, which, on being rotated, draws the rod in and bends it around itself. As this bending or coiling takes place sawdust is in terjected between the rod being coiled and the mandrel, and in being caught between the mandrel and the coil presents an anti-friction or non-adhesive surface between them, and thereby allows the coils as formed to be easily pushed aside by the coils in process of formation. The sawdust is in such a comminuted condition when used, and is subjected to such a great pressure between the coils and malt drel, that it does not cause any appreciable enlargement of the coils. Even with the use of sawdust as what might be termed a lubricant I have found that both the mandrel and .coils are considerably heated by the coiling operation, and to overcome this objection, and also for the purpose of causing the sawdust to adhere to the mandrel and insure its being caught by the coils, I moisten the sawdust with water, and thus not only pre vent the heating and cause the sawdust to stick, but the lubricating or anti-friction qualities of the sawdust are considerably enhanced.

In place of sawdust any comminuted or disintegrated vegetable fiber-*as, for example, hay or strawmay be used with equally good results.

It has heretofore been necessary, even when oils or other lubricants have been used, to regrind the mandrel to remove the grooves or scores cut therein in coiling the rods once for every ton of coils produced, and as the capacity of a machine is about four or five tons a day the mandrel would have to be ground four or five times. This grinding is very expensive, not only on account of the loss of time, but also in the wearing away of the mandrel, necessitating a frequent replacing of the same. But by the use of comminuted fibrous material as a lubricant or anti-friction I have been able to produce fifteen tons of coils without any regrinding of the mandrel.

It is obvious from the above that the use 2. The method of preventing the adhesion 15 of metallic coils on the mandrel on which the coiling is done, and preventing the heating of the same, which consists in interjecting moistened comminuted vegetable fiber between the rod and the mandrel while the coiling is in 20 progress, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT W KENNEDY.

Vitnesses:

S. HARVEY THOMPSON, DARWIN S. 'WoLoo'rT. 

